Little Helpers
by ananova
Summary: While Inuyasha's away on an exterminating trip Kagome falls ill and it's up to the children to take care of her.


Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

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Originally posted to At First Tweak on May 20, 2012 for Prompt #69 Fever.

Title: Little Helpers

Author: ananova

Rating: T

Genre: Family

Universe: Post-Canon

Word Count: 1441

Summary: While Inuyasha's away on an exterminating trip Kagome falls ill and it's up to the children to take care of her.

Warning: Innuendo

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Kagome groaned tiredly as she picked up forgotten toys. She glanced in the direction of the bedroom where her children lay sleeping, before shaking her head in bemusement. They never could remember to pick up after themselves when their father was away. She knelt and placed the toys in a small chest then stood again, only to briefly sway on her feet. She quickly placed a hand against the wall to steady herself. "Whew," she breathed. "I think I better get to bed myself." She hesitated a moment, looking around the hut. She really had a lot of work she needed to finish. "I'll just get up early," she told herself before heading for her own futon.

She changed into a light sleeping yukata and, with one last glance at the sleeping children, climbed into bed and quickly fell asleep. What felt like a moment later, she felt small hands prodding her.

"Mama? Wake up Mama."

Kagome groaned. "You should be in bed Jomei," she said without opening her eyes. "What's wrong?" She blearily opened her eyes a crack only to be surprised by the light shining through her window. How could it be morning already?

Jomei and Izayoi stood next to her futon, looking down at her. "Mama? Are you okay?" Jomei asked, frowning.

"I'm fine Jomei, just tired." She tried to smile reassuringly at him as she moved to get up, only to collapse back onto the futon as the room spun around her.

"Mama!" Two voices cried out in alarm. Small hands immediately began to shake her body but got no response.

Little Izayoi placed a hand on her mother's face, hoping to wake her, only to snatch it back with a cry. "Mama hot!"

Jomei frowned as he placed his own hand on his mother's forehead. She was really hot! He looked at the crying Izayoi. "Don't worry Izayoi," he told her. "Mama will be okay, she's just tired."

Izayoi sniffled as she looked at her brother with large, tear-filled golden eyes. "But Mama hot," she repeated. "Get Baa-chan?"

Jomei thought about it for a moment before remembering that Kaede had gone to visit someone outside of the village. "She's not here."

Izayoi looked like she was going to burst into tears again. "Mama needs Baa-chan!"

"Don't worry Izayoi, I'll make Mama better. Remember it's my 'sponsibility to take care of you when Papa's away." He puffed his chest out with pride.

"But Mama so hot," Izayoi whimpered.

"She'll be okay, we just need to cool her off. I know! I'll get water! That'll help her! Wait here," he told her before he raced to the door and grabbed the water bucket.

He ran to the nearby stream and filled the bucket before hurrying as fast as he could back to the hut. It was harder than he thought it would be as the filled bucket was much heavier than an empty one. Even with his hanyou strength he could barely carry the filled bucket and water sloshed over the sides with every step. Still, he managed to make it back to the hut and he hurried back to his mother's side.

"Don't worry Mama! I got water! This will help." Unfortunately, his foot caught on one of the toys he had forgotten just as he entered the bedroom and the bucket went flying as he fell. "No!" he cried upon seeing the water splash out of the bucket and soak his mother. He knew the water would help but he knew he wasn't supposed to soak her with it.

His fears were realized as his mother immediately began to shiver, her body shaking uncontrollably. Izayoi began to sob again. "I'm sorry Mama," Jomei said as he felt tears fill his own eyes. He tried to pat her down with the blanket but all of the bedding was also wet. He was so distraught he never even heard the footsteps behind him.

"Hey, what's all this?" a gruff, familiar voice exclaimed behind him.

"Papa!" Two voices cried out, and little Izayoi threw herself at her father, hugging his leg tightly. "Mama sick!" she wailed.

Jomei looked up into his father's concerned face. "I'm sorry Papa, I tried to help but I only made it worse." His face screwed up in misery.

Inuyasha felt his worry soar as he spotted his wife lying unconscious and soaking wet on the futon. He hurried to her side and placed a hand on her forehead. He breathed a sigh of relief as she stirred beneath his hand. She was warm but not as bad as he feared.

"Inuyasha?" she mumbled as her eyes blearily opened. "You're back."

"Mama!"

Kagome gave a weak smile to her children. "I guess breakfast's a bit late this morning." She frowned as she noticed something. "Why am I wet?"

Jomei shuffled forward. "I'm sorry Mama, I just wanted to help. But I tripped and the water went flying and I just made everything worse." He sniffled as he tried to keep the tears away.

"Oh baby, it's okay," Kagome tried to comfort her son as Izayoi also sniffled where she stood still clutching Inuyasha's hakama.

"Feh, don't worry about it. You actually did help. The water managed to break your Mama's fever. She's still warm but she's gonna be fine." He chuckled slightly, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Just remember not to use a whole bucketful next time." He gave his son a crooked grin to show he was just teasing. "Now why don't you take your sister and wait in the other room while I help your Mama dry off and change her clothes."

The two children glanced back at their mother and were reassured to see her much more alert and nodding in agreement with their father's words. "Get better soon Mama," they said before turning to follow their father's directions.

"And clean up your toys while you're at it!" Inuyasha said with a pointed look at the wooden block Jomei had tripped on in his rush to return with the water.

Jomei flushed slightly before grabbing the block in one hand and his sister's hand in the other. "Come on Izayoi."

Inuyasha listened to them for a moment before turning his gaze on his wife. He chuckled again. "I know how much you like your baths wench, but getting sick so you don't even have to leave bed to get one is a bit much, don't ya think?"

"Quiet you," she told him with a mock glare and a halfhearted slap to the chest. "I thought you were going to help me out of these wet things."

He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Are you sure? The children are right in the next room after all."

"Inuyasha!" she cried as a blush covered her cheeks.

"Keh. Glad to see you're feeling better wench." His tone turned serious as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't scare me like that."

Kagome covered his hand with her own. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I didn't even realize I was getting sick, I just thought I was tired." She gave him a small smile and tried to lighten the mood herself. "I am only a weak human after all."

"Feh, nothing weak about you at all." He frowned at her. "You've been pushing yourself too hard again."

Kagome said nothing, knowing he was right.

Inuyasha sighed before he continued. "And I haven't been helping with being gone so often and leaving you to handle two part youkai children on your own in addition to your Miko duties. I'll just have to tell Miroku that we won't be going on as many exterminations for a while." He shook his head to silence her protests. "Come on, let's get you out of those wet things before you get sicker."

Kagome smiled impishly at him. "But Inuyasha, the children are in the next room," she returned his earlier words as she decided not to protest his decision. It would be nice to have some time with her whole family.

Inuyasha spluttered for a moment before smirking and waggling his eyebrows suggestively at her. "Just you wait wench, I'm gonna make you pay for that once you're all better again," he promised.

And Kagome couldn't wait to hold him to that promise.


End file.
